LUSII
by xXSilver-TurtleXx
Summary: Karkat just wants to escape. But he can't leave the world behind him until he finds his brother, the only family he has left. In his search, Karkat feels himself being pulled back into the violent world of underground racing, and discovers a social revolutionist using Karkat's name as an alias. Now, he must choose between his dreams and his new family. T 4 language, all characters.
1. Go Back To Bed

I don't remember much about my father. I was only a sweep when he died, after all. My older brother was three. He had found us when I was still a grub, and my brother says that he took us in, even though he didn't really have a home.

I remember my brother holding me, standing quietly beside the wall of a huge cavern, peering between the legs of huge trolls nervously and excitedly. I remember the roar of engines, the kicked up dust that threatened to choke me, the cheers of adults and children alike.

I remember a black helmet. I remember the way the troll with the black helmet would perform the most amazing tricks and feats on his motorcycle, and how he would win every race. To this day I hear whispers of his greatness, insults to his refusal to wear a helmet of his blood color, as is custom in the underground racing cities.

I remember that, after every race, he would scoop my brother and I up into his giant arms and carry us victoriously home, down in the depths of the caverns, where no one could find us.

Once I asked him why we didn't live in the cities or in the hivelands on the surface, like the other trolls did. My brother made an annoyed face, like he always did when I asked questions, and my father smiled.

"We're not like other trolls," He said. His voice was deep, and resonated in the darkness. "They wouldn't be happy to see us. It's safe down here." Then he would laugh, and light a candle, and lie us down next to him to sleep and kiss our foreheads.

I remember a motorcycle ramming his in the last race of the season. I remember how my father's bike tipped, crushing his leg between the rock and the motorcycle, and slid off of a cliff.

I remember how the entire cavern went silent, how the rider with the indigo helmet froze in horror, as if the whole scene had been an accident, before speeding away, never to be seen again.

I remember my brother crying loudly, turning me around and hugging me, shielding my eyes as if I hadn't already seen.

But that is all I can make myself remember.

Afterwards, an older troll found my brother and I, and took us to the surface for the first time. She brought us into an orphanage for grubs and younger trolls, who had nowhere else to go.

I hated the orphanage. Everyone was so nice, but the air was drenched in a morbid hopelessness, which depressed and angered me. I suppose it was even worse for my brother, but he never complained. He just kept a straight face and went about his business, a distant, pained look in his eyes.

I left when I was four sweeps. I stole a little food from the kitchen, and tied it up in a gray cloak, fashioning a backpack for myself. Tying it around my neck and stomach, I opened the door and crawled out onto the tree beside it.

"Karkat?" I looked up at the sound of my name. My brother was leaning out the window, watching me climb down.

"Go back to bed, Kankri."

"Where are you going?" I didn't answer, looking away and continuing to climb down. "Are you leaving?"

"Don't try to stop me!" I whispered angrily, wishing he would keep his voice down. I didn't want him to blow my cover, in case someone caught me sneaking away and brought me back into that dreadful place.

Kankri didn't say anything. He disappeared from the window sill, only to reappear seconds later, something clenched in his fist.

"If you're set on not coming back, at least take this!" He whispered, careful now to be quiet.

Startled, I looked back up to him. I hadn't expected him to let me leave so easily, without a long speech about my life choices and what I was doing. But the genuine concern in his eyes let me know he wasn't trying to trip me up. I extended my hand upwards, and he tossed me the object he was holding.

It was a cancer symbol, a small silver pendant on a silver chain. It glittered softly in the moonlight, swinging side to side in the breeze. I looked back to Kankri, confused.

"Of all the crazy crap you keep, why a necklace?"

"It's the mark of one of the gods, you uncultured swine." Kankri sneered a little, and I scowled right back. "It's to protect you."

"Fine, whatever…" I slid it on, the cool chain pressing against my neck. I would never understand why Kankri still believed in gods, after all that had happened to us. But I was a little happy that he had cared enough to give me something.

I continued down the tree, then jumped softly to the ground. Adjusting my pack, I turned in the direction of the hivelands, where abandoned homes were set far apart in the lifeless land. No one would think to look for me there.

"Please don't die," Kankri whispered as I walked away, though I pretended not to hear.

Because I honestly wasn't expecting to live that long anyway.

* * *

I pressed my back against the wall, my short black hair drenched with sweat. The cool concrete felt good against my bare shoulder blades, and I sighed.

"Come on, get up loser! I'm not letting you off that easy!"

I grimaced, standing up again and putting my fists in front of me. The troll standing before me grinned wickedly, eyes narrowing. His fist came flying towards me, connecting with my stomach and knocking me down again. I grunted in pain, baring my sharp teeth.

"Teach you to cheat me again, lousy mechanic." He moved to kick me in the head, but I rolled out of the way at the last second, and his foot connected with the wall instead.

I jumped onto his back, latching onto his horns and wrapping my legs around his chest with a slight hiss.

"Teach you to touch me, nook sniffer!" I snarled as he struggled to pull me off. "It's not my fault you're a poor haggler!"

I reached behind me and grabbed hold of one of the swinging chains that hung around my hive, letting go of the troll and scrambling towards the ceiling. I swung between the chains, pulling myself up onto a rafter.

"Get down here, coward!" The troll hollered at me from below, scowling.

"No thanks! I'm good!" I called back, doing my best not to fall. I was at least fifteen feet off the ground by now, and I don't exactly land gracefully on my feet.

The troll paced back and forth beneath me, shouting insults and occasionally trying to climb up after me, but the chains were slick with oil, and only I knew the best handholds. After vowing revenge, he finally left, knocking over a few work tables on his way out. I scowled with annoyance, staying in my perch for a good hour in case he wanted to ambush me.

When I had deemed it safe enough, I slid back down the nearest chain to the floor. My workshop was a huge mess now, tools and parts scattered everywhere. I resisted the urge to wipe my oil-coated hands on my face and set to work cleaning and reorganizing. My arms and stomach were sore from my embarrassing beat down, but I ignored it.

The obnoxious moron who had tried to pound me had been annoyed because I might have sold him an overpriced part, but it was his own fault for being an idiot. Everyone in the hivelands are idiots. Except for me, of course.

The hivelands writhed with lowbloods and outcasts, hiding from the world and society. The people in the cities pretended we didn't exist, and we pretended they didn't have the good life.

It took me another hour to get everything back to the way it was, and by then the sun was starting to rise. I flipped the sign on my door to say "CLOSED," and was about to head upstairs when a furious knocking sounded at my door. I glared at the door, hoping the knocking would stop, but it continued relentlessly.

"We're CLOSED!" I yelled at the door. The knocking paused, then continued anyways. Swearing under my breath, I walked back to the door and yanked it open, frowning deeply.

A young girl rushed in, closing the door shut behind her. Her wild black hair was tucked under an obviously expensive exo cap, which coated her entire body with an invisible layer of sun protection, so she can freely wander in the harsh daylight. My eyes narrowed. She was obviously a city girl, what was she doing out here?

"Wha-"

"Shh! There's no time to explain!" She pulled a small purse full of coins out of her long olive colored trench coat, tossing it onto one of the tables. She pulled her blue cap so that it shielded her face a little, and grabbed my greasy hand with her gloved one. "Just roll with it!"

I glanced in confusion between her and the bag of money, but she suddenly grabbed me, throwing her arms around my neck and kissing me directly on the lips.

"Mmpoh!" I protested, eyes widening. The door swung open and another city dweller stormed in, obviously annoyed.

The girl broke the kiss, turning to the newcomer with an innocent look on her face. With mock surprise, she hid slightly behind me, but didn't let go.

"Eridan! What are you doing out here?" The city boy glared at her, then at me. He was a seadweller, a rare highblood species that rarely graces the land with their presence.

They're also known for being violent and very dangerous. I did my best to pretend I wasn't surprised, although on the inside I was really just hoping he wasn't going to kill me.

"I came to speak with you Nepeta, but your exo apparently blocks your ability to hear me." Eridan looked me up and down, smoothing the violet streak in his hair with his hands. I grimaced at his flashy clothing and gaudy cape, and pretended I was wearing more than filthy jeans and boots.

"Oh my, I'm so sorry, your majesty…" The girl, Nepeta, smiled lightly, then turned to me. "I-I was just so excited to see my matesprit, I guess I wasn't paying any attention!"

"M-Matesprit?" I stuttered, finally finding my voice. She kicked me lightly in the shin, and I winced. "Yeah. Um, right, I'm her matesprit, definitely." I awkwardly held my hand out for a handshake, but the highblood ignored it.

"This filth? He's the reason you refuse to admit your flushed feelings for me? He's a lowblood, probably the lowest. Just look at him!"

"Firstly, I don't have any flushed feelings for you, Eridan!" Nepeta frowned, letting go of me and crossing her arms. "Second, he is not filth, and even if he was that does not sway my feelings for him!" She turned away in a huff, and Eridan's scowl deepened.

"The heat must be getting to you. Come with me this instant!" Eridan grabbed her arm, and Nepeta hissed at him, pulling away.

"Whoa, hold on there, pal!" I broke his grip on her arm and roughly pushed him away. "I don't want any trouble, but that's no way to treat a girl!"

"Out of my way, lowblood." Eridan hissed. "This is none of your concern!"

"Excuse you, fish breath, it's _all_ of my concern!" I winced internally at the obvious anger in the highblood's eyes. "That's my matesprit you're manhandling!"

Eridan and I stood and stared at each other for what felt like forever, matching one another's scowls. Finally, he turned abruptly, cape flowing out behind him.

"Whatever pleases you, Nepeta. Your actions are no concern of mine." He grumbled, activating the exo on his thick glasses and stepping out into the early sunlight. As soon as the door closed, Nepeta let out an audible sigh of relief, rubbing her forehead and laughing quietly.

"Thank you, I'm so sorry if I embarrassed you." She grinned up at me. I scowled, wiping my mouth on my arm.

"Whatever. Next time a highblood decides he likes you, deal with it yourself!" Her smile fell, and for a moment I felt bad for snapping at her. But only for a moment. "Take your damn money and leave. We're closed." I lowered my voice and turned away from her.

She didn't say anything, but simply watched me climb up the chains and onto the small overhand where my makeshift recupracoon and all of my personal stuff was. A long time ago, the highbloods had changed the recupracoons, when trolls began crystalizing the sopor slime they produced and selling it on the streets as a drug. But a lot of the lowbloods who live in the hivelands still use the old ones, since they're less expensive and were mainly already here.

"I like your necklace!" Nepeta called up. I glanced down, a little annoyed that she hadn't left yet. My hand instinctively reached up and touched the cancer symbol that hung around my neck.

"Why are you still here?"

"My name is Nepeta. Nepeta Leijon."

"I didn't ask!"

"What's your name?"

"Listen, Leijon, I'm kind of tired. I've been working all night, and I am really sick of being harassed by people I don't know, and I want to sleep! So if you would kindly get out, that would be great. Peachy! Wonderful! Thanks for coming, have a nice day!" I waved at her, then turned around and started washing the oil off of my hands in the small faucet in the wall. After they were clean, I pulled my sleeping shirt on and started to climb into the recupracoon.

"You're weird." I stifled a scream of surprise, whipping around. Nepeta perched on the edge of the overhang directly behind me, grinning. She had somehow managed to get up here without even rattling the chains!

"How did you-"

"The same way you did." She shrugged as if it were no big deal. "I'm a good mimic. A copycat, if you will," She snickered.

"Get out!"

"I can't."

"Like hell you can!"

"No, seriously, I can't leave!" Nepeta stood up and crossed her arms again. "My exo won't make it all the way back to my home. I spent all of its charge trying to get away from his royal jerk face. He's been on my tail forever."

I scowled again, rubbing my face with my hands and growling. Sending her out now would be like asking her to kill herself. The city was too far away.

"Fine. You can stay here until nightfall. But that's it!" I glared at her again. "I don't know how you managed to get chased all the way here from the city, but I'm not heartless." I pulled a chair out from beside a small table and sat down in it with a small huff. "You can use my recupracoon."

"Thank you…" She whispered. She pulled her jacket off and climbed in, slipping into the green sopor. She seemed a little surprised at the consistency, but didn't say anything.

I closed my eyes, leaning back in the uncomfortable chair.

"Why did you say I was weird?" I opened my eyes again and looked over at her. She peeked her head out of the recupracoon, her eyes glittering.

"Most lowbloods don't stand up to highbloods anymore." She whispered. "And even fewer believe in gods."

I leaned back in my chair, processing what she had said.

"Karkat."

"Excuse me?"

"That's my name. Karkat Vantas."

Nepeta smiled again, exposing her sharp white teeth. A glitter of recognition and excitement lit her eyes, and I frowned again.

"Thank you, Karkat." She repeated.

* * *

_**I hope you enjoyed it, please review if you're interested in more ^^ Sorry it's so short!**_


	2. Where Were the Gods?

My eyes flashed open. At first I was confused, since I rarely slept outside of my recupracoon. Yawning, I stood up and stretched, glancing out the window. The sun was still shining through the dark glass; it couldn't have been any later than 4 o clock.

I had no intention of returning to the creaky chair, so I slid down one of the chains to the floor as quietly as I could. Carefully, I pulled a tarp off of my latest project, smiling despite myself.

It had taken me three sweeps to collect all of the parts, but it had all been worth it. Every stolen piece, every week without food because I had to buy a big part, every stupid part I had to sell to save up… Totally worth it.

I crouched down and wiped some grime off of my hand-made motorcycle with my sleeve. Everything about the bike was perfect. And someday, I was going to ride it out of here, somewhere with no hives, and no cities, and no annoying trolls. I'll plant a farm, and I'll live for as long as I want, and no one will bother me.

I frowned a little. Of course, I couldn't go yet. I didn't have enough money to buy all the seeds and materials I would need. And I had to find my brother first. I would never be able to live with myself if I left him behind in this disgusting society.

And frankly… I missed him. A lot. Not that I would ever tell him that.

I grabbed my wrench, going over the bike and making sure everything was alright. I tightened a few bolts, whistling to myself while I waited for the sun to set, so I could reopen the shop.

There was a strange, unfamiliar noise in the distance. My ear twitched, and I looked up, confused. Dropping the wrench, I stood up and walked to the door, pressing my ear against it and narrowing my eyes.

There was a strange creaking sound, like metal rubbing against itself. A fuzzy noise burst out occasionally, like someone talking. Suspicious, I pulled my cloak on and stepped outside a little, looking down the street.

A huge, metal machine stomped down the road, followed by a horde of trolls dressed in military uniform. The soldiers were kicking the doors of hives in and pulling trolls out, then tossing them in the back of the machine. For a moment I was frozen in terror, gaping at the unbelievable scene.

"NEPETA!" I shouted, slamming the door shut and locking it. "NEPETA WAKE UP, WAKE UP RIGHT NOW!"

"Wha?!" Nepeta popped out of the recupracoon, rubbing her eyes. "What time is it?"

I clambered clumsily up the chains, making a racket in my haste and fear. I pulled her out of the recupracoon forcefully, and she made a small indignant noise.

"Never mind, we gotta move!" She opened her mouth to question me, but I interrupted her quickly. "Just trust me, okay? We don't have much time! Just go!"

She quickly scraped excess slime off of her and pulled her jacket and hat back on, then followed me down the chains. My hands shook a little as the noisy machine got closer and closer. There weren't a lot of hives in this particular area, so it would take those soldiers no time at all to reach us.

"What's that sound?" Nepeta asked, turning her head back and forth to listen.

"Doesn't matter! Go, go, go!" I picked her up and placed her on the back of the bike. "Actually, stay. Stay right there! No moving!"

"Oh… Kay?" Nepeta was starting to look worried, glancing back and forth with every heavy, metallic step of the machine.

I opened a cabinet beneath the overhang and pulled out my sickles, my emergency food stache, and my bag of (meager) savings. I also grabbed Nepeta's money for her, since she had left it on my table. Smacking my big red button as I ran by, I jumped onto the motorcycle and revved the engines.

I'm really glad it actually works.

The button had activated the back door, which slowly slid upwards. As soon as I could, I barreled through the narrow gap, ducking to avoid hitting my head.

As we sped away, the soldiers kicked in my door, shouting after me. I pulled my cloak over my head with one hand, steering towards the city with my other. Nepeta held onto me tightly, squinting out at the sun.

"Pull my cloak over you!" I shouted back to her above the noise of the engine. If she said anything, I couldn't hear it, but she must have heard me because she pulled the cape that had been tucked between us over her head. I tried not to look at the sun directly, grimacing as the dim light burned my cheeks and hands. I focused on the paths ahead of me, mentally blocking out the sound of screams and grinding machinery.

"Why…" I whispered to myself as silence fell down around us. The roar of the engine filled my ears. We passed various hives, some that had already been emptied and some that hadn't been reached yet.

Around midnight I stopped. The lights of the city could be seen in the distance, but I had no desire to get any closer to it. Nepeta lifted my cloak away from her head, blinking up at me.

"Are you alright, Karkat?" She asked me. My hands trembled a little as I lifted my cloak and pulled her money pouch out. I turned and dropped them in her hands, scowling.

"There. You're home. Now go." I snarled at her. Her eyes widened with surprise, but she got off the motorcycle nonetheless. I turned it away from the city without hesitation, revving the engine.

"Karkat, wait-" Nepeta began to protest, but I sped away from her, doing my best to bury my anger.

How dare they? Those damn city dwellers destroyed my home. Why? What would drive them to that?!

The tears I had been holding back for hours came streaming down my face now. I didn't even know where I was going anymore. My home had been destroyed, and there was no way I'd ever get enough money to live by myself now. I sneered at the wind, squinting as I drove across an especially dusty area. Stones pelted me in the face as my motorcycle kicked them up in the air.

I don't even care anymore.

I came to a stop again. The moon was dipping in the sky, and my exhaustion was making my vision fuzzy. I kicked the kick stand and sat down heavily on the ground, trying to take deep breaths. A shudder passed through me, and I wrapped the cloak around my body, tucking my knees up.

It was a foolish dream anyway.

I reached for my necklace, pressing the cancer symbol between my thumb and forefinger. A sudden rush of anger came over me, and I pulled it over my head. With a yell of anger I threw it as far as I could, watching it sail through the air, glittering in the moonlight. After a moment, it landed with a metallic clang.

A metallic clang? I raised my eyebrow curiously and stood up again. There was no way something so small could make such a loud noise.

I walked slowly towards where I had thrown the pendant. After a few feet, my footsteps began to make a similar metallic sound. I looked down, scuffing the toe of my boot against the dusty ground. As the dirt cleared away, a dull metal surface was revealed, making an echoing clang every time I tapped it with my foot. Picking up my necklace, I slowly cleared earth off of the metal, until the entire surface was revealed.

It was a huge oval, about as long around as I was tall. Engraved into the disk was an enormous cancer symbol, exactly like my necklace. It didn't appear to have any use other than existing, but upon closer inspection I discovered a small divot in the center. Taking the necklace in my hand, I pressed the pendant into the ground, fitting it easily in the small hole.

There was a click, and then nothing. I stood up again, a little disappointed, until the ground began to shake. I spread my arms out for balance, eyes widening as the enormous metal plate began to glow red. I scrunched my eyes shut, slightly blinded, and fell over as the shaking and glowing got even more intense.

When it finally stopped, I slowly opened my eyes. Standing in the center was a slightly taller troll, but he couldn't be any more than nine or ten sweeps old. He was wearing a dark mahogany-colored tunic, cape, and pants, with a bright red slash across the chest. A hood that matched his cape covered his head, shading his face a little.

"Behold, worthless mortal!" He rose his hands above his head. "I am your God!"

"Bull!" I shouted, scowling. He matched my scowl perfectly, clenching his fists.

"What the hell do you mean, bull?! Did you miss the earthquake? How I appeared out of fucking nowhere?!"

"My eyes were closed!"

"I will smite your sorry ass, you liar!" He hollered, but he didn't move to attack me. I stood up to my full height, the hood of the cloak falling down onto my shoulders.

"Go ahead!" I screamed at him, releasing all of the anger I had pent up in me. "I don't care! You wouldn't be the first self-glorified, buldge-scratching dick to COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY DESTROY EVERY SINGLE THING AROUND ME!"

For a second he seemed surprised, but I didn't care.

"AND IF YOU'RE MY GOD, HOW COME YOU NEVER HELPED ME OUT, HUH? WHAT ABOUT MY DAD? WHAT ABOUT MY HIVE? WHAT ABOUT ALL THOSE IDIOTS THAT HAVE BEEN DRIVEN INTO SELF EXILE IN THE HIVELANDS, ONLY TO BE FORCEFULLY TAKEN FROM THEIR HOMES?! WHAT ABOUT THAT?!" I walked towards him, wild, and he took a half step back. "WHERE WERE YOU?!"

I stood directly in front of him, snarling inches from his face. His scowl didn't disappear, and his eyes darted back and forth, like he was trying to make a decision. After he continued to be silent, I stepped away, panting, trying to get myself under control again. I shook my head, turning away and shoving my hands into my pants pockets.

"There's no such thing as gods, anyway." I grumbled under my breath. "It was stupid to think there were any to protect us."

"Yeah, you're right." The man whispered. I turned around again to see him walking towards me. "It was stupid to think that someone would protect you."

He put his hand on my shoulder, giving me a small half-smile.

"Come with me, kid, I wanna show you something."

"Come with you where..?" I narrowed my eyes. "We're in the middle of nowhere."

"Yeah." He took his hand off and wiped it on his shirt, then jogged awkwardly back to the middle of the platform. Bending down, he picked up my necklace and pulled it over his head.

"H-Hey! Put that the back down! That's not yours!" I pointed angrily at him, and he rolled his eyes.

"Actually, it is mine, I just left it on the planet in case you idiots needed me!" He went back to scowling. "And from what you've said, it sounds like you need me!"

His hands started glowing red like the platform had during the earthquake. He motioned for me to come closer, entering a kneeling position and drawing something on the ground with his fingers. I hesitated, but went to him anyways, kneeling beside him.

"Um…" I tilted my head to the side, trying to look at his drawing from a different angle. "Is it… An umbrella?"

"No, dumbass, it's a key!" He smacked me in the back of the head, making me wince. He kept sketching the "key" with his finger, ignoring me. When he was finished, his hands stopped glowing, but the drawing continued to illuminate the dusk. Slowly, he reached his hand into the drawing and, with a disgusting slurping sound, pulled out a bright red key. His hand and the key were dripping with a thick red liquid, and he scrunched up his nose.

"I really hate my job sometimes." He grumbled, dropping the key on my lap.

"Ew!" I hissed, flicking it off and scrubbing at the now red stain on my pants. When he started glaring at me, I picked the key up and started cleaning that as well.

"There. Now you won't have to come all the way out here to talk to me." He crossed his arms, getting the red liquid all over his sleeves.

"Who says I want to talk to you?" I muttered.

"Excuse me? I couldn't hear you over the sound of how thankful you should be."

"I, um…" Biting back another retort (I wasn't in the mood to get into another fight with this loser), I raised my voice and changed the subject. "What's the red stuff on your hands?"

"Oh." He held them up in the moonlight, scrunching his nose up again. "I think it's blood."

I could feel the color of my face change, and I covered my mouth with my hand to keep from throwing up.

"B-Blood doesn't come in that color!" I stuttered, recoiling. He rolled his eyes, putting his hands down.

"Come on Karkat, your blood is the EXACT same color."

"How did you know-" I started, but quickly shut my mouth. I hadn't told him my name.

To answer me, he pulled his hood off, revealing messy black hair cut exactly the same as mine. Now that I was looking, I could see his horns were the same shape as mine too. As I stared at him in confusion, he bit the inside of his cheek and spit a bright red glob of blood on the ground by my feet.

"We're the same person. Sort of." He told me after deciding he had provided sufficient proof. "But you don't have to call me Karkat. You can just call me, umm… Knight of Blood."

The Knight of Blood stood up, wiping the remaining blood on his hands off on his pants. His cheek had probably already healed, since he didn't spit out any more blood.

"See, a couple thousand years ago, my friends and I noticed that a few of the trolls living down here looked just like us. Turns out, the game's program saved all of our DNA from when we were messing with ectobiology. Sollux, he's another god, was messing with the game's programing, _again_, so that a certain creature he really liked would spawn on the planet periodically. He wanted it to be a natural inhabitant but didn't want it to go extinct, you know? I don't know, it was something stupid like that. So he asked me to get him the code out of the Appearifier for the stupid animal, since he had already spawned a bunch of them on a day he had nothing to do. And… I might have accidentally printed out the codes for all of the trolls as well… It was really stupid and confusing, so I just printed off all the codes that looked like they had to deal with living creatures! I figured it was just a bunch of different kinds of the same animal, since he had cloned a bazillion of them! So, now every few hundred of years, 24 wrigglers kinda just pop out of nowhere. Sometimes they don't all come at the same time, like Damara. She keeps sporadically popping up, it's really stupid. Actually, A Kankri recently showed up at the wrong time too… He ended up meeting another Kankri, and I had to listen to that idiot brag about how he existed in three different 'states of being' at once, ugh-"

"Wait, Kankri?" I hadn't understood most of what the Knight was talking about, but I perked up at the sound of my brother's name. I still hated that I hadn't taken him with me, no matter how much he used to annoy me in the orphanage. "Do you know where Kankri is?!"

"Calm down, kid." The Knight held his hands up in front of him, a little annoyed. "Were you even listening to me? This is important stuff! I don't explain this to every Karkat I see, so you better pay attention."

"Yeah, yeah, I was listening. Your friend was trying to make an animal and now versions of yourself show up on the planet once and a while, and something about a pear on fire?" I shrugged, standing up next to him. "Come on, if you're a god, you should know where Kankri is! I mean, you can pull keys out of the ground! Do something useful!" He snarled, and I took a step back, laughing uncomfortably. "Not that the key isn't useful. It's super exciting! I cannot wait to use this key, and I am so thankful it hurts! Ouch! See that? That was my thankfulness biting me from the inside!"

"Right… Whatever." The Knight of Blood looked away. "I'm sorry, I don't know where your current Kankri is. It's not exactly a power I have. The key thing is something all gods can do, but I'm not even the best at that!" When he saw my shoulders fall, he bit his lip a little, waving his hands as he spoke.

"Don't worry, though! I know someone who can help you! If you can find a girl named Terezi and convince her to give you her necklace, you'll be able to open the Seer of Mind's gate. She'll easily be able to find your Kankri, seeing stuff is her forte."

"Terezi?" I mentally repeated the name over and over, so I wouldn't forget it. "Right. Got it! Any idea where she is?"

"No. But all of the grubs appearify in about the same area, so she can't be far away." He replied. "I would check any hives and towns nearby, though you'll probably do better looking in the cities."

I grimaced. The city was the last place I wanted to be. But I wasn't too keen to venture into the hivelands again, in case I ran into the soldiers and had to deal with that all over again. The Knight of Blood noticed my discomfort, and patted me on the head.

"Buck up, loser. You'll be fine." He pulled my necklace off and put it back around my head. "Remember, if you need any more help, just stick that key I gave you into any door and you can find me." He turned me around and pushed me lightly towards my motorcycle. "Now get out of here! The sun's coming up soon!"

"Gah!" I stumbled forward, turning around to punch him in the arm for pushing me. But he had already vanished.

"Thank you…" I whispered into the silence. I uncurled my fist, looking at the key in my hand. It was still warm, and pulsed ever so slightly, like a tiny heartbeat. I opened the chain and slid the key on next to the cancer symbol, then clasped it back around my neck. It was surprisingly light, but then again it wasn't all that big.

I slipped onto my bike, my head spinning and heavy with the information the Knight of Blood had pumped into me. Revving the engine, I rolled it all around in my mind, sorting it into what I deemed useful and what seemed like useless filler.

Was I really a reincarnation of a god? And so was my older brother?

I shook my head. What mattered was finding Kankri. It was pointless to procrastinate finding him any further, and now there was a really good chance that I would actually find him. I hoped he would forgive me for leaving him, although deep down I knew he would keep that grudge forever.

I raced against time through the empty plains, desperate to reach the city before the sunlight reached me. The burns on my face and hands still stung violently, and my skin was starting to turn a sore pink color and peel. By sunrise, however, I had reached the city.

It was enormous. Huge, sparkling silver spires stretched out against the sky, as if a massive monster was trying to claw its way out from underground. But it was still graceful, so much more collected and coordinated than the hivelands. I would have described it as beautiful, but my hatred for the corrupt trolls that inhabited the enormous citadel was too deep, and I was filled with disgust simply by being here. It was surrounded by a river, with long bridges leading to the other side periodically placed along the shore.

I steered beneath one, finding a nice and dark spot to rest. I set the kickstand again, lying down between the motorcycle and the river. Luckily, the ground was flat near the wall, where the bridge met the ground. However, it was narrow, and my motorcycle barely fit without scratching the concrete above me. I covered it with my cloak, uncomfortable with it sitting in the open, even though it was unlikely anyone would see me under here. Curling up in a ball, I let the rush of the river sweep me into slumber.

When I woke again, it was dark enough for me to leave. It wasn't apparent that anyone had visited me in my hiding place, as there was nothing missing from my person and my bike hadn't been touched. I pulled my cloak off of it, checking it for damage.

"Ugh…" I bent down, touching the tires of my bike. The hours on end of intense riding had nearly destroyed the wheels. They had been pretty bad when I bought them, but now they looked like they could fall apart any second. I snuck out of my hiding place and looked up on top of the bridge. A group of soldiers were collected in the center, armed with guns. They faced towards the hivelands, as if on guard.

I quickly disappeared back under the bridge before they saw me, cursing under my breath. How was I supposed to get across now?

Upon closer examination, I found that the river wasn't moving very fast at all. And, though it was wide, it might not be all that deep.

Summoning up my determination, I spread my cloak out on the ground and stripped down to my underwear. I tied my clothes, sickles, money, and food up in the cloak and then tied the cloak to the motorcycle. With a quiet grunt, I picked the motorcycle up in my arms, silently screaming. The plus side to spending years as a mechanic, climbing up and down chains and wrestling with machinery, was that I had a pretty sturdy upper body strength, and enough lower body strength to do what I needed. I walked slowly down the bank and into the river, hissing when my skin touched the ice cold water. Lifting the motorcycle all the way above my head, I walked further into the river, my arms shaking.

About a third of the way through, I wished that I had checked to make sure it was shallow enough to cross. The water level was already to the base of my chest, and it was still getting deeper.

Why did I have to be so short?!

"Okay, Knight, this is the part where you help me out!" I whispered, struggling to keep the motorcycle dry as I attempted to continue. I was almost halfway across, I couldn't give up yet! But I was almost pale with the fear of getting the bike wet and the results. THIS BY FAR THE DUMBEST IDEA I HAVE EVER HAD. "Please! I'll never ignore you when you're trying to explain something to me again!"

"Whoa brother!"

I looked up. A troll about my age stood on the bank I was trying to get to. Long, wavy horns jutted out from long, messy hair, which framed his make-up coated face. He hooked his thumb in his belt buckle to keep his sagging pants from falling as he scratched his head and grinned like an idiot.

"Are you trying to sneak past the guards, bro?" He sniggered, his thick voice a little too loud for my taste.

"Sh-Shut up and help!" I hissed at him, desperate to get across quickly.

"Okay, don't get all up and twisted, little man!" He laughed again, ditching his clown shoes and socks and splashing into the river. In a matter of minutes, he was beside me. I let him support half of it, my muscles sighing in relief.

He was much taller than I was, and a little lanky, but he matched my strength easily.

"If this even touches the water, I will personally cut your head off!" I growled at him, but there was no real edge to it. I was grateful someone had actually come along, and just in time. _Thank you, Knight._

"Sounds fair." He mumbled back, still grinning. His ridiculous clown makeup weirded me out, but I didn't say anything.

My eyes caught a mark on the outside of his wrist, and my eyes widened a little. There was a small purple barcode, about an inch and a half long and half an inch wide.

It must be his L.U.S.I.I., or Legal Urban Safety Identification and Information. It was the law in every city that every troll is imprinted with a L.U.S.I.I. when they are born, but almost no one in the Hivelands ever got theirs imprinted.

What was worse was that the L.U.S.I.I. always matched the blood color of the troll. Which meant that I had just accidentally threatened to kill a highblood.

Oh, joy.

I was too busy making sure he didn't notice that I did not have a L.U.S.I.I. that I barely noticed when we reached the other side of the bank. The highblood helped me set the bike down, and I propped it up on the kickstand, untying my clothes and tearing a small strip off of my shirt, mumbling something about getting a cut while I was carrying the motorcycle and tying it around my bar-codeless wrist.

"The name's Gamzee Makara." The stranger informed me, wringing out his loose clothes with his hands.

"Karkat," I replied, shaking my head and sending water droplets everywhere. Gamzee laughed as I got him even wetter, and I resisted the urge to smile. "Sorry."

"It's all levels of good, brother." He replied. "Nice motorcycle, by the way! You a racer?"

"Not really, I just have a soft spot for motorcycles." Why was I telling him that? I really had to work on my nervous habit of rambling. "I made this one from scratch, but the wheels are crap. I need to get new ones, after I dry off."

"You're right," He kneeled down, still dripping, to look at the tires. "If you want, I could take you down to a real good mechanic in the South End. It's close enough you could just push your motorcycle there, and still have lotsa moonlight to get to wherever you're up and going." He grinned sideways at me again, and I returned my attention back to my clothes, slipping my pants on as soon as my underwear was dry enough. "What's so important that you got to cross the river carrying an entire motorcycle over your head?"

"Oh, um, I'm looking for somebody. Two somebodies." I finished dressing, looking him in the eyes again. "Do you know anyone named Kankri? Or Terezi?"

"Hmmmm…" He scratched his head again, thinking hard. "Nah. Can't say I've had the pleasure of meeting a Terezi or a Kankri. Sorry bro." He helped me to stand up, and his eyes traced my necklace. "Hey! That's a sweet chain you got there. I got one too!"

"You do?" I blinked, a little surprised.

"Yeah! How cool is that, we match!" He reached inside his t-shirt and grabbed a similar silver chain, pulling it out to reveal a silver amulet with the Capricorn symbol embellished upon it similarly to mine. "They're like best friend necklaces!" He gasped, a little dramatically, blinking. "Does that make us best friends?"

"Yeah… Sure." I was honestly a little surprised that this… Well… Weirdo, was one of the reincarnated gods. But the Knight of Blood did say that we all appear in the same area, and there are twenty four gods… So it was probable that I would meet another eventually. But not this quickly!"

"Yay!" He reached forward, hugging me tightly and getting me all wet again.

"Gack! Quit it! No touching no touching no touching!" I hissed at him, struggling to push him away.

"Alright, best friend!" He let go, taking a step back and raising his hands. "I'll be more careful next time! Now come on this way, we'll go get you new tires!"

"Fine." I grumbled, grumpy now that I was wet again. The air was much colder wherever my wet clothes clung to me, and I shivered involuntarily. Pulling on my cloak and tucking my weapons and money in the inner pockets, I pulled a chunk of bread out of my food bag and stuck it in my mouth before I could say anything else I might regret. As much as it made me uncomfortable, it was probably a good idea to be friends with a highblood in the city. Storing the food bag, I put my hands on the handles of the motorcycle, pushing it after Gamzee, who walked and simultaneously put his shoes back on.


	3. Tasting Victory

Gamzee made simple chat with me as we walked through the dark streets, grinning widely and occasionally tripping over himself. The streets weren't crowded just yet, since the sun had set less than an hour ago. But there were enough city dwellers bustling about, to jobs, schools, and breakfast areas, that I was becoming uncomfortable. I dreaded the crowds that might appear as the sky grew darker. I swallowed the last of my bread and ground my teeth together, letting my eyes wander. I was only half listening to the clown, but he didn't seem to mind.

"Here we are, best friend!" He put a hand on my shoulder, steering me towards a small shop. He held the door open, and I pulled my motorcycle inside, glancing around. The building was relatively empty. The far wall was covered in shelves of neatly organized parts and tools, and there was a service counter not far from the door. Behind the service counter was an open doorway, with beads hanging down so I couldn't see much in the connecting room.

Gamzee strolled in after me and made a beeline to the counter. He rang the bell a few times and leaned on the clean wood, propping himself on his elbow. I kicked the kickstand up on my bike and moved to stand beside him.

"Greetings," a young man passed through the beads, which made a soft rattling sound as they knocked together. He dressed rather nicely for a mechanic, but his thick gloves were worn from work and his tool belt was heavy. From his long, straight hair stood a horn in the shape of a spear. Its pair had been broken, leaving a jagged stump. He glanced at us from behind dark, cracked shades, folding his hands on the counter politely.

"I need new tires," I informed him, and his head turned in my direction. "For my motorcycle. The current ones are in poor shape."

"I see." He replied simply. He walked around the corner and to my bike, bending down to look at the wheels. "Poor shape is a light way to put it. These look like you drove them across the hivelands for over a day."

"Not exactly…" I laughed nervously, and he gave me an odd look.

"Oh! Are you gonna ask about your buddies, best friend?" Gamzee elbowed me in the side, and I winced.

"Buddies?" The mechanic repeated, a tinge of curiosity in his voice. He picked up my motorcycle effortlessly, carrying it to an empty area in the shop. Pressing a button on the floor, a circle of light formed around the motorcycle, and lifted it into the air like it was a balloon. The mechanic easily removed the tires and tossed them into a large pile of old parts and rubber, then went to get new ones.

"Yeah. I'm looking for a couple of trolls that probably live around here." I tried to keep from gaping at the technology. It made the entire process so much easier. I settled with a bewildered frown, following the mechanic, who was trying to decide which tires would fit my motorcycle best.

"Many trolls have come into my shop," He replied in a bored monotone. "Perhaps I know of your... buddies."

"Well, the first one I'm trying to find is Kankri. He's about nine sweeps, nubby horns…" I couldn't think of how else to describe him. I didn't know what he looked like now.

"I can't say that I recognize the name." The mechanic replied. "My sincerest apologies, perhaps I know the second?"

"It's all right. Do you know a Terezi?"

His muscles tensed up a bit, and his mouth twitched. I felt excitement growing in me. He must have recognized the name! However, he remained silent, sifting through the tires and trying to avoid my gaze.

Finally, he pulled out a pair and handed them to me, a little roughly.

"Please excuse me sir. If you would, make sure these tires fit your specifications. I must go and… Check something in the back." He hurried past me into the second room, sending the bead chains wildly spinning.

"Check something?!" I tried not to sound offended. He obviously knew what I was talking about! What was with all of the secrecy?

Choosing not to push my luck, in case he decided not to tell me, I returned to being quiet, rolling the tires over to the motorcycle.

"Bro, you have got to try this!" Gamzee stuck his head in the gravity field with the motorcycle, laughing to himself. "It's like water, but less wet. It's wicked!"

"That's nice." I grumbled, annoyed with the mechanic. I set the wheels down beside the glowing circle, jogging to the far wall and grabbing a few tools.

I could hear whispering in the adjacent room, which annoyed me further. Was Terezi back there with the mechanic? Maybe the mechanic was Terezi, and he was unsure of my intentions?

I easily removed the old wheels and was in the process of replacing them with the ones the mechanic had given me when I heard the beads move again.

"Karkat?"

I turned, eyes widening.

"Nepeta?" I stuttered, and she beamed at me. The mechanic followed her out, standing above her protectively. Nepeta bounced over to me, wrapping her arms around my neck and hugging me tightly.

"I'm so glad you're alright!" She laughed, and I awkwardly put my hand on her back in a half-hug.

"Yeah, I'm just fine." I muttered. "Listen, Nepeta, I'm really sorry I left you like that-"

"No, it's fine, I understand!" She let go, giving me space. "You needed to clear your head. It's understandable."

"I'm sorry, but did you say Karkat?" The mechanic interrupted, and I looked up to see he had returned to Nepeta's side.

"That's right, pal." I lifted my chin, annoyed that I was standing in front of yet another tall troll. "Karkat Vantas. Who are you?"

"Equius. Nepeta's moirail." He sneered, exposing broken teeth. "So you are the one behind all of Nepeta's wild ideals."

"Excuse me?"

"Karkat, just ignore him." Nepeta punched Equius in the arm, but she might as well have been punching a wall. He returned his attention to her, and they exchanged a look. "Why are you looking for Terezi?"

"So you two do know her!"

"Of course! She's an old friend of mine. We ride together."

"Can you take me to her?" I tried not to sound impatient. "It's really important!"

"Yes, if that's what you want." Nepeta rolled her sleeve back, looking at a small screen attached to her wrist, below her olive L.U.S.I.I. "But we'll have to leave soon, or we might miss her!"

"Sir!" Equius grabbed the back of Gamzee's shirt, just noticing him. "Please do not place your head in the anti-gravity field!"

"Sorry, bro." Gamzee backpedaled, trying to keep his balance as Equius pulled him away from the glowing circle. "It just looked like so much fun!"

"I'll go get my bike! Meet me in front of the store, okay?" Nepeta gave me a thumbs up, smiling widely and disappearing into the adjacent room.

"Thank you!" I called after her, spinning the wrench in my hand. I smiled. I was so close to finding Kankri, I could taste it! I turned back to my motorcycle, finishing my task of attaching the wheels.

"I got you!" Gamzee punched me in the arm, laughing. "Wheels are on me."

"You don't have to-"

"Nah, it's all good." He shrugged off my attempts to stop him, lazily reaching his arm out to Equius. Equius scanned his L.U.S.I.I. with a small device, then turned to me.

"Mr. Vantas, may I speak to you privately before you leave?" Equius inquired, and I could feel his hard stare from behind his dark glasses.

"I suppose..?" Suspicious, I turned the gravity field off, standing beside my bike with my hands on the handles.

"I'll go wait with Nepeta," Still smiling, Gamzee shuffled out of the door, utterly relaxed.

After the door closed, Equius took a step towards me, towering over me easily. I did my best to keep a calm face, but my hands tightened on the handlebars.

"I am going to tell you this once, and once only. The only reason I have yet to report you to the authorities is because Nepeta favors you, and you helped her in a time of need. But I promise that if you come back to this shop, I will not hesitate to unveil your identity to the police."

I was too shocked to say anything. Gaping, I nodded my head, silent, and backed away from him slowly. He didn't say anything else, but Equius did not take his eyes off of me until I had left the shop completely. I was still shaking when Nepeta greeted me, jumping on her bike.

"Sorry t-to make you wait," I apologized to her again. I had to stop doing that.

"No, you're fine!" She flexed her hands, obviously impatient to leave despite her apparent calm demeanor.

"Mind if I come?" Gamzee gave me a pleading look, and I shrugged.

"I don't really have a reason you couldn't." I jumped onto my bike, and Gamzee slid on behind me. My skin prickled again at the contact, frowning.

"Keep up!" Nepeta revved her engine, speeding away from me down the street. I started my bike and quickly followed her, lowering my head to make up for the speed I was losing with an extra passenger. Gamzee carefully copied me, sensing our closeness was making me uncomfortable and keeping as much distance as one could keep whilst sharing a motorcycle.

We wound our way through the city, driving through shortcuts between buildings and avoiding main roads, since by now there would be more trolls wandering around. After about ten minutes, we reached the entrance to an old warehouse, and Nepeta and I slid to a stop. She jumped off easily, motioning for me to follow her inside. Gamzee and I got off of my motorcycle, and I moved to intercept Nepeta.

"Hold on." I grabbed her arm, and she stopped. "I want to ask you a couple of questions before we waltz right in!"

"I'm sensing sarcasm in your tone, Karkitty."

"How observing of you! And don't call me that, it's stupid!" I grimaced, and she laughed.

"Fine. Shoot."

"How come you wandered into the Hivelands with a dying exo battery, when you have a perfectly good motorcycle to ride?"

"I was walking to the store to get a new battery, actually, and I saw Eridan following me," She shrugged like it was perfectly reasonable. "I figured he wouldn't follow me into the Hivelands, but I suppose I was wrong."

"I guess that makes sense… What about-"

"Hold on! It's my turn to ask a question!" She put her hand on my mouth to silence me. I glared daggers at her, and she smirked. "Why do you live in the Hivelands if you obviously disliked being there?"

"Because I hated living here even more!" I retorted after I pried her hand off.

"Ooh! My turn!" Gamzee clapped his hands together excitedly. I bit my lip to keep from yelling at him to shut up and turned to look at him.

"Yes? What is it, Gamzee?!" My voice sounded strained, but it was better than losing my top.

"If you lived in the city before, how come you don't have a L.U.S.I.I.?"

I froze, and Nepeta stared at my bandaged wrist.

"I… Um…"

"I'm not an idiot, Karkat." His smile disappeared a little at my surprised tone. "You don't have to worry. Your secret's safe with me!"

"I… My dad didn't want me to have one, and I ran away from the orphanage before they save up enough money for me to get one." I admitted, my shoulders falling a little at the memory.

The other two fell into an awkward silence, unsure what to say.

"Your turn, Karkat." Nepeta broke the silence, not looking directly at me.

"Never mind. It doesn't matter." Frowning, I knocked on the heavy doors, my hand on my motorcycle.

A pale troll around my age slowly opened the door, keeping her hand on the frame so that I couldn't walk past her. She wore a bright red skirt and a purple sash, bright against her black shirt and styled black hair. When she saw Nepeta, she relaxed, letting go a small smile.

"May I help you?" She inquired, enunciating carefully as if she was trying to cover an accent.

"Hi Kanaya! This is my friend Karkat, and his friend Gamzee." I gave Kanaya a small wave, and Gamzee grinned joyfully.

"Karkat?" Kanaya sounded surprise, turning her full attention to me. "As in, Karkat Vantas?"

"Yes..?" I cocked my head to the side a little, confused. "Have you heard of me?"

"Of course! Many people have. You're writing is very popular in this area." She smiled widely, sharp white fangs glittering out at me. "I am a particularly big fan of yours."

"I see." Writing? What the hell was she talking about? "It's… Always nice to meet a fan."

"Please, come in." She stepped out of my way, holding the door open. I steered my motorcycle inside, and Nepeta and Gamzee followed close behind me.

The warehouse was filled with boxes of all sizes, spilling with assorted technology and parts. In the center, a boy typed away on several patchwork computers, his back to us. He turned around, red and blue glasses glinting in the dusty moonlight that sifted through the high windows. He wore mismatched shoes and dark clothes, and his four symmetrical, spiked horns jutted out of his short hair.

"Who're the new guys?" He pointed at Gamzee and I, his lisp ever so slightly muddling his speech.

"Karkat Vantas, and his friend." Kanaya introduced us. The troll frowned when he heard my name, turning around again and typing on his computers.

"Sure he is." He replied skeptically, ignoring us again.

"That's Sollux," Nepeta whispered. I was a little annoyed. This jerk was another god reincarnate? Couldn't any of these reincarnates be friendly, helpful, or at least quiet?

"Wonderful." I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, and leaned my bike against the wall. "Where's Terezi?"

"Are you a friend of Terezi's?" Kanaya asked, a little surprised.

"Not exactly. She has something I need." I explained, and Kanaya nodded.

"I'll fetch her, then." She turned and walked away, her heels clicking. I leaned over to Nepeta, who was leaning her bike against the wall near mine.

"Is this your racing team?" I asked, surprised.

"Sort of. We don't have enough members to be an official team yet." She shrugged. "They might not look like a gang, but both of them are amazing racers."

I nodded, turning my attention to Gamzee. He was rocking back and forth on his heels, resisting the urge to touch everything.

"Do you want to play rock paper scissors?" I asked him with a small sigh, and he perked up.

"That sounds like fun!" He closed his hand into a fist, and we started playing, amusing ourselves until Kanaya came back with Terezi.

"Would you two stop that?" Sollux snarled after a few minutes. We froze, and he glared at us again. "Can't you see I'm trying to concentrate?"

Our arms fell to our sides, and I matched his annoyed look. When he turned around again, Nepeta covered her mouth, muffling her laughter.

"Hey cool kids!" I looked up, watching a girl with sharp horns strut towards me. She wore sharp red glasses and simple clothing, expressing herself instead with her short hair and red metal staff, which was shaped like a dragon. "I heard the great Karkat Vantas was looking for me?"

"That would be me," My fingers tingled, and I resisted the urge to rip the metal chain off of her neck. As soon as I got that, I could find my brother and get out of this filthy city.

"Oohh, you sound a lot different than I thought you would!" Terezi sauntered over to me, stopping inches from my face. She poked me with her stick, sniggering. "Like someone ran your voice box through a blender."

"There's nothing wrong with the way I sound!" I shouted, defensive. Terezi only laughed harder, leaning on her staff and grinning wickedly at me.

"Whatcha want from little old me?" She asked, ignoring my outburst.

"Your necklace," I replied bluntly, pointing to the chain around her neck. "I need it for… something important."

Her fingers touched the chain, and her smile faltered. She pulled it out, feeling the Libra etching on the surface of the silver amulet.

"And you expect me to just hand it over?" She grinned again, but it was not at all friendly. "Not like it's precious to me or anything." She added sarcastically.

"I'll give it back when I'm finished." I scowled, trying to stay calm. "I really, really need it."

She sniffed at me, then backed up. Crossing her arms in thought, she licked her lips, sniggering again.

"Do you race?" She asked, finally.

"Not exactly." I narrowed my eyes. "I'm a mechanic more than a rider."

"That's too bad," She sighed dramatically, swinging her necklace in a circle. "Because the only way you can get this precious thing is if you can beat me!"

Sollux stopped typing, and the room became silent once more. He stood up quickly and jogged over to Terezi, tapping her on the shoulder.

"Your helmet isn't fixed yet," Sollux whispered, and Terezi shrugged.

"I don't need sight to beat a mechanic." She boasted, grinning wickedly. "I know this place like the back of my hand!"

"You can't see the back of your hand!"

"Wait, you're blind?!" I exclaimed, and Terezi laughed again.

"Um, duh. Get with the program Vantas!"

"How the hell do you expect to be able to race if you're blind?!"

As an answer, she brought her staff down on my head, and I squeaked in pain.

"The same way I do anything because I'm blind, you dolt!"

I rubbed my head, baring my teeth.

"Fine! I'll race you. Winner gets the necklace!" I snarled. "And if you get yourself killed, it's not my fault!" I stormed away from her, pulling my motorcycle away from the wall and getting on.

She laughed triumphantly, racing behind a pile of crates and coming back out on her own bike, the engines roaring.

"First to the central wins?" She challenged, shouting over the noise her motorcycle was making.

"Bring it on!" I hollered, revving my engines defiantly.

Kanaya, barely masking her worry, opened the doors for us, and we pulled up to the imaginary starting line. Nepeta hurried over, handing both of us face covering brown helmets: back-ups kept for training, if I had to guess. They reminded me of the ones they wore in the centuries old classic movie, Tron. Sollux grabbed Terezi's wrist again.

"Just wait until the helmet's done! It's only going to take me another day!" He yelled to her over the noise.

"I can't stay holed up here a second longer!" She hollered back, bending low over the motorcycle. "I need to ride!"

Sollux stared at her, anger flushing his cheeks. He let go of her wrist and stormed off in the opposite direction, refusing to look back.

"Hey!" I called to Nepeta, and she turned her head to me. "Um… Which way is Central?"

"You agreed to race there, and you don't even know where it is!?"

"Just point, jegus!"

Nepeta rolled her eyes and pointed to my left. I nodded my thanks and assumed the same position as Terezi, glancing at her from the corner of my eye. She flexed her muscles, itching to get going.

Kanaya stepped out of our way, holding her arm up. After a brief hesitation, she let it drop, and Terezi and I sped out of the old building, leaving a thick cloud of dust in our wake.

"Go, Karkat!" Gamzee hollered after me, pumping his fist in the air.

"Damn it, Terezi," Kanaya whispered, holding her hand to her forehead. "You better know what you're doing…"

Terezi immediately cut into a side street, expertly maneuvering within the small space. I continued heading straight, looking for the main road. It would be a straight way to central, and I was desperate enough to risk riding through a crowd.

I could see the thick soup of trolls already, but I was going too fast to stop.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH!" I screeched, easily getting their attention. They screamed, scrambling to get out of the way as I barreled towards them. I cut into the street easily, dodging between groups of terrified and confused trolls, looking around me.

There! One of the skyscrapers had their doors propped open, and there were few trolls gathered around it. I steered towards it, zooming into the building and sending papers flying. Secretaries and citizens threw themselves out of the way, and I hit the brakes as quickly as I could, sliding into an open elevator. I planted my foot on the ground and hit the button for the top floor, panting.

With a ding, the doors shut. I turned my head to look at an older couple who had gotten into the elevator before me. They stared at me in horror, clinging to each other.

"Hey." I grunted, turning away. The woman made an indignant noise, but they still forgot to press a button for their floor, so we rode together to the top floor. The elevator music was extremely annoying, but I still tapped my finger to the beat. There wasn't much else to do. As soon as the elevator opened again, I raced out and into the hallway.

It looked like a hotel, which would explain the old couple. The walls and floors were nicely carpeted, and sped by in a blur.

Luckily for me, I have an amazing sense of direction, and I easily turned myself in the correct direction, zooming through the hallways. I pulled a sickle out from my cloak, throwing it ahead of me and through a ceiling to floor window at the end of the hallway. It shattered in a waterfall of glass, and I drove through it and out into the moonlight.

For a moment I hung, suspended, flying through the empty air. I fought to keep my motorcycle balanced in the air, accidentally doing a backflip, filled with terror. Finally, my wheels touched down on the roof of the adjacent skyscraper, bouncing a little and then speeding forward with ease. I thanked the Knight that the city had been designed so the skyscrapers were progressively shorter closer to the center of the city. I could see the huge, spiking building that stood in the center of the city.

I looked down, tracing the sidestreets behind the sky scrapers, and caught a glimpse of Terezi speeding far below and behind me. Memorizing the fastest route, I grinned and drove off the roof, freefalling again. I pulled my second sickle out, latching it onto a fire escape ladder as I passed. It caught briefly and then began to fall, wrenching my arm but slowing me down so I wouldn't splat at the bottom. As soon as my tires hit the concrete, I sped away, abandoning the sickle. I took a moment to look behind me and relish in Terezi's blank look of surprise, before facing forward and riding along the route I had traced in my mind.

Terezi was hot on my tail, but I continued to press forward, just barely faster than her. Breathless, I burst out into Central, skidding to a stop at the foot of the huge center building. Terezi slammed onto her brakes and slid beside me.

We sat there, panting, staring at each other through our visors. Suddenly, Terezi burst out laughing, almost bending in half as she cackled, struggling to breath. I smiled, then laughed with her, the exhilaration of it all making me giddy.

"Are you sure you're just a mechanic?!" Terezi gasped out. "You drive like a professional!"

"I guess I have a knack for it!" I squeaked out, pounding my fist on the handlebar and trying to control my laughter, to no avail.

"Damn!" Terezi snickered, taking deep breaths to calm down. She pulled the silver chain over her head, and tossed it to me. I caught it, fumbling with my hands, and stared down at it.

"Bring it back when you're done, okay Karkles?" She nodded at me, starting her motorcycle again. "I better see you soon!" With that, she turned, speeding away into the darkness of the back roads once more.


	4. We Can't Help You

I curled my hand into a fist around the amulet, sighing. I was so close.

Distantly, I heard sirens, and I snapped my head up. Swearing, I spun and drove into the back roads, propping my bike up behind a dumpster. I hid beside it, glad I was wearing a helmet that covered my face.

I hissed in surprise as something burned against my chest, shoving my hand down my shirt and grabbing it. It was the key, which was now glowing slightly, cooling again as it rested in my palm. I pulled the chain off of my neck and stood up, racing towards the nearest doorway. I shoved the key in the lock, turning it. There was a click, and the door swung open into a room I had never seen before. I grabbed my motorcycle and pushed it into the room, then grabbed the key and slammed the door.

Letting out a sigh of relief, I pulled my necklace back over my head and pulled my helmet off. My hair dripped with sweat from the stuffy helmet, and I shook my head violently, trying to get rid of the disgusting damp feeling.

I was standing in a small room without windows. The walls and carpet was grey, and it was covered in black couches, chairs, and tables with cherry red pillows and blankets scattered about to accent the darkness. I couldn't locate the light source, but I didn't really care.

"Knight of Blood?" I called, stepping further into the room. "Hello? Where are you?!"

"Jegus, learn some patience!" I turned to see the Knight of Blood had appeared behind me. He grimaced when he saw me. "You look like you could use a shower."

"I got the necklace." I held up Terezi's amulet, letting slip a proud grin.

"Good for you," The Knight grunted. "Now you just have to find her summoning plate." My smile faltered, and he shrugged. "It shouldn't be too hard for you. You managed to find one girl in one day in an enormous city, after all!"

That lifted my spirits again, and I crossed my arms and stuck my nose up in the air.

"Of course I did. I'm practically a god, after all!" I claimed, and he smacked me over the head again.

"Don't get cocky, you idiot!" The Knight sneered, and I rubbed my head. "When trolls get cocky, they make mistakes. If you want to find your brother, you'll have to keep your current streak of luck running!"

"Luck?!" I pointed at myself. "This isn't luck! It's genius! The embodiment of intelligence and success!" I winced when he hit me again, pressing my lips together tightly.

"The hell did I just say?!"

"Sorry…"

"You had better be." He crossed his arms and closed his eyes, eyebrows furrowed. "Anyway, I'm pretty sure the Seer of Mind's plate is in the city as well. Last I checked, it was in the basement of some big building that was being built."

"There are a lot of buildings in the city! Be more specific!"

"Would you shut up?! I'm trying to think!" He raised his hand like he was going to hit me in the head again, and I flinched. He lowered his hand, still glaring at me, and returned to thinking.

I sat down heavily on one of the couches, sinking in the soft cushions and pouting angrily while I waited for him to think of something more helpful.

"Ummmm… It was a factory. There were a lot of boxes being stored in the factory… Computer parts? Something that involved those big green things you put in computers and television sets, those things. But they never finished it, they just abandoned it."

"Oh!" My eyes widened. "I know where that is! That's where Terezi and Nepeta hang out!"

"Really?" The Knight of Blood looked surprised, then a little flustered. "Hmph! Of course it is! I knew that all along."

"Can you teleport me there?" I asked, standing up. "The faster I can get there the better… And I might have pissed off a bunch of policemen, so avoiding them would rock."

"Just open the door, it'll take you where you want to go." He shooed me away. "Come talk to me again when you find your brother, or if you need more help."

"Yeah, yeah!" I grabbed my motorcycle and opened the door. "Thank you!"

"Whatever." The Knight grunted, turning away. I left quickly, slamming the door behind me. I was in front of a small shed, just across from the old factory. I pushed my motorcycle over to the doors and knocked heavily, waiting impatiently for someone to open it.

The doors creaked open, and Nepeta blinked out, then grinned.

"Karkitty!" She jumped forward and hugged me again, and I sighed.

"Don't call me that!" I hissed, embarrassed. I gently pulled her off and walked past her, leaving my motorcycle by the wall and making a beeline for Sollux, who still sat in the center of the room.

"Best friend!" Gamzee waved at me from on top of a pile of boxes, and I nodded at him, rushing. Sollux turned when Gamzee acknowledged me, glaring up at me from his seat.

"What do you want?" He asked pointedly, but I ignored his tone.

"Basement." I replied. "Where is it?"

"Downstairs…" Sollux grunted.

"No duh! I mean, where is the stairs to get down there?!"

"They were sealed a long time ago!" Sollux yelled impatiently. Kanaya and Terezi glanced up from where the far end, and Terezi grinned.

"Back already?" She laughed. "That was fast."

"Yeah," I ignored her, staring intently at the ground. I shifted my weight, and the floorboards creaked. I walked away from Sollux, and the creaking grew quieter. I jogged towards Terezi, listening to the floorboards and trying to determine where the creaking was the loudest. The other five watched me in confusion, trying to figure out what I was doing.

Finding the loudest area, I snapped my head up, turning to Gamzee.

"Come over here!" I called to him, and he quickly jumped down from his perch and ran to me.

"What's up, brother?" Gamzee grinned at me, and I gave him a quick smile before returning to my serious face.

"I need you to jump up and down with me!" I exclaimed, and started bouncing on the creaky floorboard.

"Umm…" Gamzee watched me bounce up and down, confused. "Why?"

"REASONS!" I screeched, annoyed with everyone staring at me. Gamzee shrugged and started hopping beside me, and the floorboards started creaking even louder.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Sollux stood up, watching us.

"I'm trying to get to the basement!"

"That sounds fun!" Terezi ran over and started jumping up and down with us, whooping. Gamzee cackled, whooping too, and I snarled. Nepeta joined us as well, and Kanaya begrudgingly followed her and began jumping.

"You guys are all idiots." Sollux snarled, annoyed. The creaking was catastrophically loud now, with four trolls all jumping in one spot.

"Don't be a spoilsport, Sollux!" Nepeta called, and he frowned deeper. "Come and help!"

Sollux didn't move, just stared at us all from behind his ridiculous glasses.

"Get off your butt, Sol!" Terezi hollered, still as excited as ever.

With a groan of distaste, Sollux stood up out of his seat, and walked towards us.

"Listen, you're not going to get down stairs by jumping up and down! What are you going to do when the floor actually breEEAAAAAAAAAKS!" As he neared us, the floor finally splintered beneath our weight, and the six of us fell through the floor. Screaming, we landed in a large pile on the basement floor. I fell on top of Gamzee, and he grunted in pain, then both of us were squished by Nepeta.

"Get off!" Sollux pushed at Kanaya, who had landed on him and Terezi.

"Ahahahahaha!" Terezi laughed loudly. "Let's do that again!"

"Where is it?!" I rolled Nepeta off of me and shakily stood to my feet. "Where is it?!"

"Where's what?" Kanaya asked curiously, but I ignored her. I paced back and forth, listening for the metallic ring of a summoning plate. Finally, towards the center of the dark, dusty basement, my foot connected with the metal.

I crouched down, fumbling in the darkness for the divot in the center. I had to brush away layers of dirt and dust, but finally, finally I found it. I pressed Terezi's amulet into it, standing up and backing away.

The others had stood up by now, but they remained in the area they had fallen, the only lit area in the room. As the ground began to shake and the plate began to glow, they hurried over to see, curiosity and confusion showing on their faces in the teal light. I turned toward them, crossing my arms and waiting for the shaking to stop, my feet planted firmly on the ground so I wouldn't fall over. When it stopped, the teal light continued to illuminate the area, casting sharp shadows like black claws across the walls.

"Well, well! A visitor!" I turned to see a female troll, around the same age as the Knight. Her green dress was imprinted with a teal circle, with three swirling tendrils stretching away from it. Her hood covered her entire face, except for her sharp, smiling mouth.

"Are you the Seer of Mind?" I asked, letting my arms fall to my sides.

"You've heard of me?" The Seer snickered, walking towards me. "I'm honored."

"A goddess…" Nepeta whispered from behind me, awestruck. The Seer smiled at her, giving her a wave. I turned to Terezi, who was sniffing madly at the air, trying to form a picture in her mind of the goddess she couldn't see.

"I told you it was important!" I hissed quietly to her before I returned my attention to the Seer. "I need your help. I have to find my brother."

"Is that all?" The Seer seemed unimpressed, but she smiled gently. "Sure, why not? I don't mind giving favors to a Vantas."

"Thank you." I mumbled, suddenly embarrassed. Nepeta pulled on my cloak, cautious.

"Why didn't you tell me the gods knew you?" She whispered harshly, a little offended.

"I didn't think it mattered!"

"Are you kidding me?"

"Can I start now?" The Seer interrupted, and Nepeta fell silent.

"M-My apologies." She whispered.

"It's alright, Nepeta." The Seer grinned, and Nepeta blushed. "And yes, I know who you are. I recognize all six of you!"

"All six?!" I groaned. "You're kidding! It's only been a day and I've already met six reincarnated… This is ridiculous."

"Karkat, shut up." The Seer pulled an old staff, similar to Terezi's, out of her dress robes and hit me on the head with it. "Where's little me? I want to say hi!"

I pointed to Terezi, and the Seer hit me again.

"I'm blind, you dolt."

"Right, sorry." I grabbed Terezi's wrist and pulled her in front of the Seer, impatient. Terezi sniffed at the goddess, and the goddess sniffed back.

"You smell like me!" Terezi cackled. "But green. Why green?"

"Isn't it dull? I wish I could wear red, like the Maid!" The Seer snickered, exactly like Terezi.

"Can we get on with it, please?!" I snarled. "I'm in a hurry!"

"Shut up, Karkat!" Both of them scolded, and I frowned.

"What do you mean by reincarnated?" Kanaya whispered in my ear, and I jumped. I hadn't heard her get closer to me.

"We're, um, reincarnates of the twenty four gods?" I shrugged, and Kanaya blinked in surprise.

"That's… interesting." She replied bluntly, and I rolled my eyes.

"You get used to it."

"I'm a goddess?" Nepeta whispered in amazement.

"Sort of." I whispered.

"Right!" The Seer clapped her hands, getting our attention. "Time to find big brother Vantas!"

"Finally!" I whined, and she motioned for me to sit down in front of her. We sat across from each other on the glowing plate, cross legged like we were meditating. She pulled the amulet out of its divot and hung it around her neck, taking a deep breath.

"Are you ready?" She whispered, and I nodded. "This might hurt a little."

"Wait, what?" I sputtered. "The Knight never said it would hurt! What are you going to do?!"

"I'm just going to look around in your mind." She reached her hand out and touched my forehead with her fingers. My entire body went cold, and I slumped forward. I couldn't move my body. Distantly, I could hear someone calling my name, but they were quickly quieted. The Seer put her hand on my chest and rolled me onto my back, so I was lying down. Everything around me was blurred and fuzzy except for her face. The Seer pulled her hood back, looking down at me with red eyes.

"Can you hear me, Karkat?" She whispered. Her voice was surreal and crisp, cutting through the blur like a knife. The clarity was electrifying, and looking at her made my eyes burn. I tried to say yes, but all that came out was a low groan. "Good. I want you to close your eyes and think about the last time you saw your brother."

My eyelids fluttered shut. Taking a deep breath, I felt myself fall back into that night, climbing down the tree. I could practically feel the bark digging into my palms, the cool night air breathing on my cheeks. The Seer perched on the branch above me, looking around. She was transparent, like a ghost.

"Karkat?" I looked up at the sound of my name. My brother was leaning out the window, watching me climb down.

"Go back to bed, Kankri." I felt my mouth say.

"Here we are," The Seer grinned to herself. She looked down at me and snapped her fingers, and suddenly I was looking down at myself. I blinked, looking at the scruffy young troll, his hollow eyes staring up from me beneath messy black bangs and barely grown, nubby horns.

"Where are you going?" My mouth moved again, but this time my brother's voice came out. I felt my hands gripping the window sill, and I was startled. I was in my brother's body. I watched myself turn away and continue to climb down as my mouth began to move again. "Are you leaving?"

"Don't try to stop me!" The young me whispered angrily, and the Seer looked up at me from her spot in the tree.

"Let's fast forward a little, shall we?" She snapped her fingers again, and my vision darkened.

My eyes snapped open, and I squinted at the blinding light. I felt myself look down, at a bright red turtleneck sweater, then to the side to see a nurse rolling up my sleeve.

"Don't worry, Mr. Vantas. You're going to feel a little bit of pain, and then the medicine will set in." She cooed, pulling out a needle. My hand moved and covered my eyes, and I groaned internally. It was nice to know Kankri was still a huge wimp.

"Ow!" My voice hissed out as the needle entered my wrist. The pain quickly dulled however, as the pain killer set in.

"Looks like he's getting his L.U.S.I.I.," The Seer observed. I watched her out of the corner of my eye, wishing she would tell me what the point of this was.

A doctor came in and replaced the nurse, pulling out a huge, circular device. It looked like a thick bracelet, and when the doctor fastened it to my wrist I could feel the weight dragging my arm down. The doctor supported the bracelet on a table and connected it to a handheld screen device with a cord. The device started whirring loudly, and it felt like I was being punched by thousands of tiny fists. When it was finished, the doctor took it off, revealing a black L.U.S.I.I. on my wrist.

"Alright, so as soon as I finishing downloading all of your personal, legal, and monetary information, we can activate your L.U.S.I.I. and you will be set!" The doctor continued to tap away on the screen, then passed it to me. "Please sign here."

"Of course," My mouth said, and my hand quickly and neatly signed the pad. The words were a blur of lines and symbols, and I pretended I couldn't see them. The pad was passed back to the doctor, who smiled at me.

"Alright Mr. Vantas. We'll just press this button here, and your L.U.S.I.I. should activate." The doctor pressed the button, and I felt my arm raise so that the barcode was in front of my face. When the L.U.S.I.I. didn't start changing color, the doctor got a worried look on his face, and pressed the button a few more times.

"What's wrong?" My mouth asked.

"Um, I'm not sure…" The doctor took my wrist in his hand, examining it. "What's your blood color sir?"

"Red." My voice whispered, a little embarrassed. The doctor gave me a curious look.

"You mean burgundy?"

"N-No. I mean red." The doctor exchanged a look with his nurse, then stood up and cleared his throat.

"Well, Mr. Vantas, I'm afraid I can't help you. There isn't an activation code for… Mutations… The L.U.S.I.I. simply won't work on you. I'm sure you could get along just fine, if you lived with a family member or a friend, they'll be able to make purchases in your place. And I'm sure you'd be able to sort out a deal with them to do odd jobs for some spare money."

"Wait, are you saying you can't give me a L.U.S.I.I.?" My body stood up, and I felt it tense with anger and distress. "But I need one! My college can't accept me until I have one!" I felt my breath coming shorter as my brother began to panic. "Even with top grades, I can't do anything until I have a L.U.S.I.I.! I'm to be a lawyer!"

The doctor shook his head, a pitying look on his face.

"There's nothing we can do. A mutant has no place in society. That's the rules."

"But… I…" The voice coming out of my mouth faded, and the room became darker. The Seer must be moving forward again. I felt a twinge of anger and pity for my brother. He probably could have been running the city by now if they had just activated his L.U.S.I.I.!

A rumbling of voices surrounded me, and suddenly a candle lit next to me. I was in a cavern now, writing something down in the candlelight. There was a huge stack of papers beside me, and various books scattered throughout the cave.

"Hey," Someone called a greeting behind me, and my body turned. A troll with surprisingly large horns jutting out from the sides of his head grinned at me, a younger troll with similar horns walking behind him. The older troll had wild, spiky hair with red tips and fluttering bronze wings, dressing like a punk butterfly. The younger brushed his Mohawk back with his hands shyly, dressed casually in an unbuttoned collared shirt that was too big for him and boring sweatpants.

"Greetings, Rufioh." My head turned to look at the younger troll, who smiled. "Tavros! I see your operation went well."

"Yes, um, thank you," Tavros shuffled his feet, looking down.

"Let me see." My body turned around in the chair, and Tavros stepped out from behind Rufioh, rolling up the legs of his pants. His legs were crisscrossed with wires and metal plates, whirring silently and letting out small puffs of air as Tavros shifted.

"Wonderful. I'm glad to see you up and walking again. You'll be racing again in no time."

"This is the present." The Seer whispered in my ear. "Memorize this, so you know what to do."

"Y-Yeah! It doesn't even hurt, really," Tavros spun in a circle, proudly displaying his artificial legs. "The Bronze Dragons will be racing again next week, if we can find someone to sign up to race with us!"

"You better win, squirt!" Rufioh messed up his little brother's hair and Tavros laughed.

"Are you going to come, Kankri?" Tavros gave me pleading eyes, and I felt my head nod.

"I wouldn't miss it. That would be terribly rude of me."

"Yay! Thank you!"

"How's your new book going?" Rufioh asked, and my body turned back to the stack of papers.

"It's fine. I'll need to acquire some more paper soon, to finish the last chapter."

"Cool." Rufioh picked up one of the books, flipping through the pages. "Remind me again why you write under a different name?"

"My information is still in the system. They might try to track me down if I use my own." A sigh came out of me. "There are still too many people that disagree with my theories and beliefs."

"Fair enough." Rufioh shrugged and dropped the book back onto the pile, taking hold of Tavros' hand. "Well, see you next week then!"

"Good day, you two. And good luck, Tavros."

"I think we've seen enough!" The Seer whispered, and the room went dark again. This time, when I opened my eyes, I was in my own body, my back pressed to the summoning plate.

I sat upright suddenly, gasping for air. The trolls around me jumped in surprise, still staring at me. I scrambled to stand up, dizzy. Gamzee took hold of my arm and helped me to my feet, and I had to lean on him so I wouldn't fall over.

"Karkat, are you okay?" Nepeta asked, rushing over to me.

"Bronze Dragons," I slurred, unsure how to use my mouth. "Do you know them?"

"They're one of the top racing groups in the underground tunnels, in East End." Sollux recited. "But they haven't raced in a while, because their leader sustained a serious leg injury that paralyzed him."

"Well they're racing now!" I shook my finger at him, stumbling and clinging onto Gamzee's shirt. "Sign up to race against them!" When no one moved, I felt anger surge up in me. "RIGHT NOW!"

"We can't," Kanaya pointed out calmly. "We need five people to race, and our team only has four. Panting I turned to her and looked her in the eye, shaking my head.

"Yes you can." I growled. "Because I'm racing with you."


	5. Surprises

As the sun threatened to rise, Kanaya and I sped down the streets on our motorcycles to the Northern area of the city. I had agreed to stay with her until I could find Kankri, since I was afraid to go back to Equius with Nepeta, and I had no intent of staying the night with Sollux or Terezi. Oddly enough, Gamzee didn't want me to stay with him, squirming uncomfortably when I had asked.

Kanaya lived in a maisonette apartment, facing the hivelands to the north. We stored our motorcycles in a small shed outside of the apartment complex, and rode the rather quick elevator to her floor.

Upon entering, I was astonished by how messy it was for such a clean and styled girl. Fabrics and sewing utensils were scattered everywhere, and dummies wearing half-finished dresses and skirts were clustered in odd areas of the main room.

"I apologize for the mess," She blushed a little, scooping up lengths of fabrics in her arms and piling them beside a studying desk. "I'm not home as often as I used to be, and the place has gotten out of hand."

"It's fine, really." I shrugged it off, and she relaxed. "Kind of reminds me of my hive."

"You're from the hivelands?" She asked, and I nodded. "You continue to surprise me, Karkat Vantas."

"I'm sorry?" I apologized, a little sarcastically. She laughed and took my hand, leading me upstairs.

"You look like you could use a long shower, then. It's apparent you haven't bathed in a while…" I frowned, but she didn't notice. When we reached the bathroom, she showed me where the towels where and how to work the shower. "I'll leave you a fresh pair of clothes in the hallway. If you need anything else, just call, alright?"

"Fine," I mumbled, and she closed the door. I peeled off my sweaty clothes and took a long, hot shower, grateful to rid myself of the thick layer of grime I had accumulated over the last couple of days. Sure enough, when I had finished I found a neatly folded pile of clothes waiting for me outside. I quickly pulled them inside the bathroom and unfolded them, examining them. They were obviously pajamas, light gray ones made of soft material. Kanaya had even remembered to grab me a pair of underwear. I slid everything on, marveling in how light and comfortable they were. Nothing like I had ever worn before.

When I had finished drying my hair with a towel and folded my old clothes, I walked back down the stairs. Kanaya was curled up in an arm chair, reading a thick book.

"Where should I put my clothes?" I asked, and her eyes rose to look at me.

"The guest room is across the hallway from the bathroom," she told me. "I've already filled the drawers with the clothes I have for males, if you dislike what I have chosen for you."

"No, this is great, thanks." She nodded and returned to her book, and I walked upstairs.

My room was rather plain, with light blue walls and black curtains and blankets. I placed my dirty clothes on top of the dresser and opened a few drawers out of curiosity. There was a wide range of colors and styles of clothing, and I was surprised Kanaya owned so many. I returned to the main room downstairs and sat on a soft couch across from Kanaya.

"Why do you own so much male clothing?" I asked, filling the silence.

"It was a phase," She replied, and I blinked. "I like to experiment. When I was six I spent a fair amount of time cross dressing, out of curiosity."

"Fair enough." I sank into the chair with a small sigh. "What are you reading?"

"Oh, Karkat," She laughed, closing the book. "That was a good one!"

"I'm not following." When she saw I was serious, she handed me the book, a little confused.

"It's _A Hemophobe's Guide to Barcodes: A Catastrophic Caste._" When I didn't respond, she frowned. "It's your fourth book..?"

"My fourth book?" I blinked dumbly, staring at the cover. "I've never even read a book."

"You've never what?" Kanaya seemed genuinely confused now, and she stood and sat beside me, leaning over my shoulder. "Aren't you Karkat Vantas?"

"Yeah, of course I am!" I frowned.

"You can't be lying, because the Seer said you were Karkat Vantas…" Kanaya looked away thoughtfully. "And it's such an unusual name, there's no way it could be a coincidence…"

"Why would someone put my name on their book?!" I shook my head. "It's stupid! I've never done nor thought anything worth writing a book about anyways!"

"Well, you're a god. Sort of. That's something, right?" Kanaya joked, and I snorted. She stood up and walked over to the bookshelf, grabbing another thick book and offering it to me. "This is the first one, if you're interested."

"I…" Swallowing, I looked away. "I'm not interested, thank you very much!"

"Don't you want to know what people think you're writing?"

"It doesn't matter to me!" I insisted, scowling deeper. Kanaya gave me a look, then sat down next to me. Opening to a random page, she thrust it in front of my face, and I flinched.

"What does this say?" she asked, a little forcefully.

I stared at the page, the symbols unintelligible to me. When I remained silent, Kanaya looked a little worried, and lowered the book.

"Karkat… Can you read?" She asked quietly, and I flinched, my face flushing.

"I never needed to!" I retorted, and she sighed.

"It's okay, I'm not going to judge you." She closed the book and placed it on her lap. "I'm well aware of the low literacy rates in the hivelands."

"We don't have a lot of written contracts down there, and no one has time to read if they want to make enough money to eat." I explained, still embarrassed. "But, unlike them, I'm not stupid!"

"I'm sure you aren't." She reassured me, but I was already too deep in my sour mood.

"I'm going to bed." I grumbled standing up. Kanaya didn't say anything, just watched me go upstairs. I resisted the urge to slam my door and shut it gently, then flopped down lazily on the bed. It was strange, not sleeping in a recupracoon. I missed the floating feeling, like I was suspended in a blanket of nothing but warmth and calm. But the bed was also relatively comfortable, like a wide couch with even softer cushions. I easily closed my eyes and fell asleep, exhaustion overwhelming me.

* * *

"And here's the main man now!" Terezi declared as Kanaya and I wheeled our motorcycles into the factory the next night. I pulled at the collar of my shirt, uncomfortable in the fashionable clothing. Sollux looked up from his computers, grinning from ear to ear.

"Have you seen how popular you've become?" He stepped away from the computers, revealing several screens of newscasts and online videos, all playing at once.

And they were all of me.

"What?!" I ran over to the computers, staring at the screens. Videos of me speeding into the hotel, throwing my sickle out the window, jumping off the building were on replay, as several newscasters spoke about a hooligan, a crazy daredevil, and even a few commented on a rogue racer.

I smiled, watching myself speed along wildly. My cloak fluttered out behind me, like a jet black rocket against the gray sky.

"Okay, that is pretty cool." I admitted.

"Everybody is going crazy about you!" Terezi snickered. "You need to wear your cloak in the race next week, so everyone recognizes you!"

"Alright," I shrugged. "But only if I get a black helmet."

Everyone was silent, and Sollux gave me a funny look.

"Isn't that against the rules? You're supposed to wear a helmet that matches your caste."

"Besides, no one has worn a black helmet since the Sufferer." Kanaya added. "It's out of respect, I suppose. No one could ride like he could."

"Sufferer?" I laughed to myself. "Is that what they called him?"

Sollux pulled up old videos of the Sufferer, and as I watched him race I was hit with a pang of pain.

"I know who he is. I haven't seen him in forever, though."

"You knew him?" Terezi asked, and I nodded.

"He was my dad."

"You're joking!" Sollux lit up. "You're the Sufferer's son?"

"Did I stutter?!" I puffed my chest out, and he punched me.

"Fine. I'll make you a black helmet. But you better win, or everyone is going to hate you for shaming the Sufferer's name!"

I shrugged again. He had a good point; I didn't want to turn into a bad joke, and I definitely did not want to disappoint my dad.

But really, the only reason I was going to wear a black helmet was because it would "trigger" my brother. And that would make him seek me out after the race to give me a long, stern talking to. I had always dreaded his scolding as a child, but now I was grateful he had thoroughly explained everything that made him uncomfortable so I could easily annoy him.

Nepeta burst through the door triumphantly, and Gamzee jogged in after her.

"Training time!" She declared, and the group collectively groaned, except for Gamzee and I.

"Training?" I asked.

"Strength training!" Nepeta pretended to flex her muscles, grinning wickedly. "We must be in top condition at all times!" She pulled a whistle out of her pocket and blew it loudly, making us wince. "Now drop and give me thirty, rookies!"

Grumbling, Sollux, Kanaya, Terezi and I dropped to the ground and started doing pushups. I managed to finish them fast enough, considering how often I already exercised my muscles. Sollux finished last, mumbling something about superior cerebral capabilities.

"What's the point of this?!" I asked, exasperated.

"Have you ever seen a race, Karkat?" Terezi shook her head, disappointed. "If you don't drive fast enough, the other team will try to push you off your bike, or sometimes just knock you out and go on their merry way."

"So make sure you polish your sickles." Sollux panted, groaning when Nepeta whistled again. We all rolled onto our backs and started doing sit-ups.

"About that…" I grunted. "I might have lost those during my race with Terezi."

Sollux made a funny face, like he was rolling his eyes.

"I'll make you new ones later. You'll just have to find something else to practice with."

"Speaking of practice!" Nepeta gave me a thoughtful look, crossing her arms. "We don't have anyone for you to spar with!"

"Can I spar with Gamzee?" I asked, and Nepeta nodded.

"Sure, if Gamzee wants to." Nepeta turned to Gamzee, who nodded.

"Sure bro, I don't see why not. I'm just happy I can help!" He grinned at me, and I gave him a small smile back.

"There are practice weapons in that crate over there," Kanaya pointed to the far corner. "You can use those."

"Okay." I pulled myself to my feet and ran to the corner. I couldn't find any sickles, but there was a pair of daggers of about the same size and weight that suited me finely. Gamzee picked up a pair of deuce clubs, juggling them momentarily with a wondrous look on his face. When we returned to the group, Nepeta instructed everyone to line up across from each other. Sollux, Terezi, and I faced Nepeta, Kanaya, and Gamzee, respectively.

Terezi twisted her dragon cane, separating it into two separate shafts connected by an electrified string of wire. Nepeta rolled her long sleeves up, pressing a device on her wrist above her olive L.U.S.I.I. Three long, blue, claw-like objects were ejected from her gloves between the knuckles on each hand. They glowed, electricity silently rippling through them. Kanaya pulled a lipstick canister from her pocket and pulled the cap off. The small cylinder unfolded, repeatedly revealing layer upon layer of mechanisms and shifting gears, until it had become a thin chainsaw that fastened itself to Kanaya's arm. It roared, sparks flying as she gave it a few experimental swings.

I was flabbergasted. Of course, all of these transformations had happened in a manner of seconds, with a practiced skill. I waited expectantly for Sollux to pull out some amazing techno-cannon of death, or something, but he simply removed his glasses, blinking with his narrow red and blue eyes. He folded his glasses and tucked them gently into his pocket, planting his feet firmly on the ground.

"Remember, you're not allowed to move your feet!" Nepeta got into an attack position, narrowing her eyes. "Long distance first, then short range on my signal!"

Sollux's eyes began to glow, and a beam of light shot out of his eyes towards Kanaya. She barely blocked it, absorbing it in her chainsaw, and shot it straight back at him. Sollux deftly caught it, closing his fist around it and smiling to himself.

The dragon carved on Terezi's weapon began to glow as well, and she shot a few globes of energy at Nepeta, who slashed each out of the air with her claws.

I turned to Gamzee, who was also gaping at the others. Open mouthed, he slowly turned to me, then looked down at the weapons he had chosen.

I fussed with the daggers, searching for a button to press that would activate them, to no avail. Frustrated, I threw them in Gamzee's general direction. He laughed and threw his pins at me, and I had to duck to avoid getting hit in the face.

"What are you idiots doing now?" Sollux called in our direction. Gamzee shrugged, struggling to reach my daggers without moving his feet.

"We don't have cool weapons like you guys do!" Gamzee pointed out, and I had to stifle a laugh when he finally fell on his face.

"Why do I have to train with a weapon I'm not going to use?!" I thre my hands in the air, a little exasperated. "It seems like the opposite of helpful!"

"If you don't want to spar, that's alright!" Nepeta called. "But you have to do pushups until the rest of us are finished."

"Fine!" I dropped down into the push up position again, rolling my eyes. Gamzee army crawled over to me, grinning.

"I bet I can do more pushups than you can, best friend." He whispered, and I smirked.

"Bring it on!"

* * *

"Is it a…" I turned my head to the side, squinting at the symbol in front of me. My arms were so sore they were numb, considering my supposed team mates took their sweet time finishing up for the day. But I won. That's all that matters. "G?"

"V, actually." Kanaya replied, and I scowled. "You're doing fine. It's going to take you a while before you'll be able to read well. Have patience."

I scribbled the letter down on a piece of paper, repeating it in my head multiple times.

She pulled out another flashcard, showing me the letter. "Which one is this?"

"Um… L?

"H."

"Damn it!" Another scribbled down letter.

"Keep trying." Another flip. We had been doing this for hours now, and I was continuously embarrassing myself.

"S..?"

Kanaya smiled, handing me the flash card.

"Correct."

"Finally…" I looked down at the S, smiling a little. I couldn't help but be proud of myself.

"Only twenty five more to go."

"Wonderful…"

* * *

"Here you go, Vantas."

Sollux dropped a pair of sickles in my hands as soon as I had set my motorcycle beside the wall. I examined them curiously, testing their weight. They were a little larger than my old ones, with pink and green stripes running along their length. One had a red band on its hilt, and the other had a blue band. As I looked at them, Sollux strapped a pair of black bands to my wrists.

"Press these to activate the sickles," He pointed to red and blue buttons on the inside of my wrists, the motioned to the sickles. "The red one activates the red sickle, and the blue activates the blue. As an added bonus, they cover where your L.U.S.I.I. would usually be, so you don't have to worry about anyone seeing you don't have one.

"Cool." I grunted, pressing the red button. The red sickle buzzed in my hand, amd I waited expectantly for it to do something else.

"Throw it." Sollux recommended. Shrugging, I complied, watching it sail in the air. Suddenly it turned, coming straight back towards me. Grinning, Sollux stepped out of the way, and my eyes widened as the new weapon collided with my gut. Sollux laughed as I hissed in pain, falling onto my butt and curling up in a ball.

"What the hell?!" I snarled at him, and he covered his mouth, trying to stop laughing.

"Now you won't lose them when you throw them at people," He gasped out finally, holding his stomach. "They're like boomerangs. Next time, you should try to catch it. It's attracted to the wristbands."

"You could've given me a heads up!"

"I thought this would be funnier. And I was right!" He gave himself a high five and walked back to his computer, obviously pleased with himself.

"Karkat!" Gamzee called, and I turned to him. He held up duel juggling pins, beaming. "Look! I got new weapons too!"

"I hope yours are better than mine…" I grunted. Gamzee nodded vigorously, walking over to me. He smacked them together, and a low ringing sound filled my ears. He started juggling them, motioning with his foot for me to back up. The more he juggled, the louder the ringing got, until I was tempted to plug my ears. He stopped, then kicked a box so it was in front of him. He tapped the box with one of his pins, and it vibrated so hard it shattered in a splintery mess. The ringing got quieter, and Gamzee turned to face a pile of boxes on the far wall. He pressed a button on the hilt, and the end of the pin opened up, releasing a focused shock wave that knocked all the boxes over.

"Yours are so much cooler than mine!" I gaped, and he laughed.

"This is the coolest present ever!" Gamzee bounced a little. "Sollux says I can join the gang after you find your brother."

"That's great," I smiled, and Gamzee reached out and hugged me.

"Do you think you could come back sometime?" He whispered.

"Of… Course." No way! I squirmed out of his grip, ashamed for lying to him. But I refused to change my mind about leaving. And the sooner I got out, the better.

"Karkat!" Nepeta called over from Sollux's computer area. "I want you to spend the day practicing with your new weapons! You're going to look ridiculous if you hit yourself with your sickle during the race.

I rolled my eyes, but activated my weapons again.

I spent the rest of the day collecting new bruises. However, after a few hours, I was starting to get into a good rhythm. Occasionally, Terezi or Nepeta would bounce over and spar with me, but by then I had an easy handle on my new weapons and defended myself with what I liked to think was a smooth grace.

The week continued as such. We would spar and train and ride our bikes through the city as the sun began to rise. My skin had finally healed by the end of the week, with the help of some lotion I found at Kanaya's house. I could feel my thin muscles regaining their strength, and I was proud to see that I had put on a little weight.

The day before the race, Kanaya and I sat next to each other in the living room of her apartment, quietly enjoying each other's company. I yawned, wishing I could sleep, but my mind was restless.

"Hey," I mumbled after an hour, and Kanaya turned away from her book. "Could I borrow a pen and paper?"

"Of course," She said politely, smiling and standing up. She crossed to the desk in the corner and pulled out a notepad and small pen, handing them to me.

"Thanks," I grunted, and she smiled. Holding the pen, I hovered over the pad, trying to remember the letters Kanaya had been trying to teach me. Seeing my distress, she stood up and went to the desk once more, pulling out her flashcards.

"Which letter?" She asked, and I flushed, embarrassed that I needed her help.

"Um, K." I frowned. "Please." She held it up, and I carefully copied it. "Can I see the A, now?"

"Do you need a capital A, or a lowercase a?" Kanaya inquired, and I gave her a puzzled look.

"Does it really matter?" I shrugged. "I would prefer the capital ones, I know those better."

"If you insist." She nodded, shuffling out half the deck and returning her attention back to me. We continued this game for a good two hours, until I had finally finished. I folded the paper quickly, tucking it into my shirt. I had already procured an envelope, and left it upstairs with my clothes.

"Thank you." I stretched, yawning again, and stood up. "I should go to bed."

"Good night, Karkat." Kanaya reopened her book, still wide awake. I silently thanked her for not asking who the letter was for, though I was pretty sure she already knew.

Back in my room, I dropped the letter into the envelope, hesitating before I sealed it. After a few seconds, I placed the key and Cancer charm inside as well, then licked the disgusting seal with a grimace. Closing it, I tucked it gently into a pocket of my cloak, and flopped heavily down on the bed.

Tonight was the night.

The night I could finally leave, forever.

The night I could see my brother again.


End file.
